This weekend, Eternals Chloe Zhao sparked discussions, polemics and a long debate on several different topics. But he also did something else: lThe film features Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), a superhero with a disability. This is a novelty of considerable interest and importance. Beyond that, it became a symbol of the studio’s intentions to open up new horizons of diversity for a new generation.
In the comics, Makkari (who was by then a man) debuted in the Red Raven Comics # 1 from 1940 under the name Mercury; the following year his name changed to Hurricane in Captain America Comics # 1 1941. Finally, he reinvented himself as Makkari in The Eternals # 5 1976.
His version in the cinema changed genre and also included the fact that the character is deaf and uses sign language to communicate. The new take on Makkari aroused immediate sympathy from fans. The study took advantage of the opportunity, in addition, to promote its policy of inclusion and representativeness.
But of course, Makkari is not the first superhero with a disability in the wide world of comics. Here’s a list of other great characters who also celebrate difference, power, and strength in whole new ways.
Professor Charles Xavier
The most famous disabled superhero in the X-Men franchise is also the most powerful. The character first appeared in the comic US Flag X-Men # 1 September 1963. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby it’s a combination of the best of the X-Men and the various moral battles of the mutants.
When he does not dedicate his time to the education of his young pupils with special abilities, Professor X is able to control reality through his mind. The skill allows you to influence behavior and Specific cases completely dominate whoever you want. It also has enough power to modify, transform and condition matter at will.
Nick Fury Jr.
Of course, if you are a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you already know the magnificent Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson. The character lost an eye due to a scratch from Goose, Captain Marvel’s pet Flerken.
But its – apparent – comic book version also has a lot to tell. In 2012, the comic Battle scars Cullen Bunn, Matt Fraction and Christopher Yost featured Sergeant Marcus Johnson, Fury’s secret son. African American and with an eye patch, is supposed to be the immediate antecedent of the live action version of Fury. Especially after he takes his father’s name at the end of the series and joins SHIELD.
Be it the father or the son, the mix between the comic book and film Fury have the same capabilities. Not only is he the best spy in the Marvel universe (both on paper and on screen), but a veteran of hundreds of different battles.
Daredevil
One of the best known disabled superheroes is Matt Murdock / Daredevil. As a teenager, Matt tried to save a passerby from certain death in a traffic accident. But amid the confusion, he was hit full in the face by a blast of chemicals. The incident left him blind but at the same time, heightened the rest of his senses to a whole new level.
As his film version and that of the small screen made clear, Daredevil is a superhero of enormous capabilities. And of course, ones that he refined and became more powerful as Matt grew older and understood his possibilities. Turned into a lawyer, the superhero is also a figure of considerable powers in the middle of the Marvel factory.
Doctor Niles Caulder
“The Boss” Niles Caulder appeared for the first My Greatest Adventure N ° 80 from DC comics in June 1963. Created by Bob Haney, Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani, he is a paraplegic with a privileged intellect. As much as to become a millionaire thanks to his inventions and various patents. With such capital, the Doctor Caulder decided to invest in an extraordinary project: a group of superheroes with atypical disabilities. The founder of the Doom Patrol has not only demonstrated his brainpower, but also his formidable ability to understand heroic power.
Echo
Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, first appeared in Daredevil Vol. 2, # 9 December 1999 from Marvel Comics. Created by David Mack and Joe Quesada, he is one of the best known disabled superheroes of the last decades. Olympic level athlete, he also has an amazing mastery of martial arts. He also has considerable skill in the use of various weapons.
Jericho
Jericho (Joseph William Wilson) first appeared in Tales of the Teen Titans # 43 in June 1984. It was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. As the son of the antihero Deathstroke, Joseph was at constant risk of being injured or killed during his early adventures. He was finally kidnapped by a terrorist who held him captive. One of his henchmen cut his neck while trying to rescue him, rendering him speechless.
But this disabled superhero – in his case he can’t speak – hasn’t made him less powerful. With the mere eye contact he is able to control not only the will, but memories and powers of any person. In some of his adventures, he has even had control of Superman. All a display of strength that makes clear, the considerable skills of Jericho.
Cyborg
Cyborg / Victor Stone first appeared in DC Comics Presents # 26 in October 1980. Created by Marv Wolfman (writer) and George Pérez (artist) is the Silas Stone and Elinore Stone. Both iconic characters educate your son to be a gifted young man. But after a series of problems with the law, Victor ends up distancing himself from his parents during his adolescence.
A few years later, Cyborg attempts some kind of belated reconciliation with the Stones. But the circumstance ends in the middle of a very serious laboratory accident. Victor suffered very serious injuries and in the middle of the incident, Elinore Stone dies. Amidst the pain, Silas decided to save his son’s life using the prototype medical research prosthetic.to which you have access.
Silas’ desperate determination to save his son gave him abilities of all kinds. Victor is a combination of a cybernetic organism and all kinds of advanced metal parts, with a brilliant human mind. After a time of anguish and rejection of his new nature, Victor became a hero in his own right.
Hawkeye
In the comics, The Avengers bow and arrow expert is a disabled superhero – he’s deaf. A detail that Marvel Comics has used to popularize and familiarize its readers with several skills at the same time. Hawkeye on paper is able to read lips with absolute precision and use all kinds of resourcess to understand the world without sound. Which adds almost naturally to his well-known skills as a precision archer and his unerring sight from a distance.
Oracle
After the events of The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon lost the mobility of her legs. But that didn’t stop her from becoming a key hero in the future of the DC universe. Not only is he one of the brightest characters in the factory, but also one of the most capable to face any situation.
With astonishing eidetic memory, he is also capable of collecting all kinds of information from the most varied sources. In addition, you can use your hacking skills and access the strangest computer networks. In the case of Bárbara, the nickname of Oracle, it is not by chance. Rather, it is a celebration of your abilities.